Part 1: Bloodlust

Chapter 1: Diseased

A/N: Yeah! A Vilkas love story! The best news is that the first five chapters are prewritten (and the entire story is planned out in detail!), so I'll be able to update much faster (as long as I get some readers!). Just to clarify, this story will consist of a number of journal entries along with the story. The journal entries are set in the past, so pay attention to the year! While the story is set in 4E203 and up, the entries range all the way back to before the Great War, although, they'll probably catch up in the end.

This is going to be a Vilkas x Dragonborn and somewhat an Ulfric x Dragonborn...ish. You'll see what I mean pretty quickly. I guess it's a love triangle...but in a bad ass way (because I don't need to write a Twilight. I promise that this will be a lot more action-packed and generally better love story than Twilight. The fact that the main character is a vampire has absolutely nothing to do with that book. At all.).

The story takes place after the first few quests of the game and after our heroine has learned that she is the Dragonborn.

A Journal Entry:

4E161

15 Sun's Height

There have been so many days where I have cried myself to sleep with the memories of my mother and my brother. I wonder what they would be like today. I wonder what my mother would say to me if she knew that her sweet Imperial daughter was now a werewolf hunter. And I wonder what she would say about the woman I've become. I hope she'd think I'm beautiful. I know she never really liked the harsh ways of the Nords, but I feel so at home with a sword in my hand. Silver sword in my hand. I guess that's why their going to call us the Silver Hand.

Oh, we're not a big organization at all. There's only about a dozen of us. But every day we work to make this country better for everyone. I know my mother always told me that killing was wrong, but it makes me feel a little bit better every time I kill a werewolf or a vampire. These monsters have no right to live. Many try to tell us they didn't choose this life, but I know better.

Today, I can be happy. Today is my birthday. I am 26 years of age. For my birthday, my father gave me a necklace from Cyrodiil. He reminds me to be true to myself all through these hard times.

4E203

"It has now been one years, three months, and nine days since I learned I was the Dragonborn. I have been living in the seclusion of a High Hrothgar for the past one year, three months, and four days. The Graybeards have taught me so much and I often consider them my only family. But I have been invited to join the Blades and I have truly been concerned for the world below. Besides, the Graybeards are afraid of me," the girl said to the dragon. Her long black hair blew gracefully behind her in the breeze, "It's all because I'm a vampire! I never chose this, Paarthurnax! I don't want to be a beast!" she pouted and then sat down on a large rock behind her.

"Calm, Dovahkiin. You are not aan sivaas. Many would consider this aan kogaan," the dragon said.

"Well, I consider it a curse. My closest friends shun me. They are afraid of me," she looked down, "And they aren't even my friends. They're my teachers."

"What is that you think you should do, Dovahkiin?"

"I think I should leave. I can't learn anything more from them. They told me the only reason they want me here is so I won't join the Blades. But I want to leave."

"And who is there to stop you?"

"No one."

"Then why have you not left?"

"I don't know if they'll let me come back."

"Tell them your intentions."

"But then they might not let me leave."

"Do not ask. Just tell."

"Right. I'll try that. Thank you, Paarthurnax."

"Good luck, brit dilon kendov."

The young Dragonborn made her way down the mountain slowly, so as to give herself the time she so desperately needed to think.

...

Leaving was the hardest thing she ever did. When asked what she would do, she explained that she was going to try to find a cure and, if she could, use her powers to help the people of Skyrim. "They need a hero. I am that hero. Or at least...I think I could be...one day..."

"Veri," Arngeir said to her, "I understand why you wish to go, but I must warn you that the path you choose must be your own. If you ever need help, however, you can always come back."

"Thank you, master," she replied. At the moment, she wanted to hug him. But she knew that if she tried, he'd draw back in fear. Everyone did.

But she set out anyways. Although she was an Imperial, she was born and raised in Skyrim. She had spent most of her life in Solitude, living in the Blue Palace. Her mother was a maid there and her father was a guard. They worked hard to make the money required to buy a small farmhouse in the country of Whiterun Hold. She was familiar with the city as she lived there after her parents' deaths. It wasn't until well after becoming a vampire that she searched the rest of Tamriel for a cure, but never found one.

But Whiterun seemed like a good enough home to her as any. She could rent a room from someone there (probably a shopkeeper). The only problem would be the suspicion that would arise after a few weeks of her going out late at night. She could cover it up with some excuse. Clearing her head. Visiting a friend. Collecting alchemy ingredients. But if they insisted that she skip a night, things would get uncomfortable and people may come to suspect her.

Her excuse, therefore, was that she was working through her long school break at the Bards College. She was supposed to study the hold at night to get a sense of its history as well as explore some of the ruins. If her employer bothered writing to the college, she technically was enrolled and the head master, a friend of her father's, would gladly lie for her.

Her only problem was that Whiterun was so small and most shops already had an assistant or didn't need one. Looking around, she knew she was in trouble. "Excuse me," she softly inquired of a young girl, "Do you know of anyplace I could find work around here?"

"Well, I suppose you could ask the Jarl for a guard position or see if there is any bounty out, but if I were you, I'd take a look at the Companions," the girl said.

"The Companions? Are they the group of warriors up on Jorrvaskr?" she asked.

"That's them. You seem like the good old-fashioned adventurous type. Or at least you're carrying around one hell of a nice sword. What's that made of?"

"Enchanted silver."

"It ever seen battle?"

"Probably too many. It was my father's in the Great War, my brother's in the Markarth incident, and mine now."

"A blade with history, I like it! I would offer to sharpen it for you, but I'm not fully experienced with silver. You might want to try to head up to the Skyforge if you ever have the time and money. The best blacksmith in all of Skyrim can help you out with that."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to do that."

As a matter of fact, she did find her way to the Skyforge. An older man was working there.

"I hear you're the best blacksmith in all of Skyrim," Veri said.

"People say that. I just do the best job I can," he said and turned to look at her. He was surprised to see such a young girl stand before him. It was something about the way she held herself that just didn't seen to fit a young person. He smiled at her, though. "I'm Eorlund Grey-Mane. It's nice to see a new face around here. Are you from Cyrodiil?"

"No. I lived there for a while, but I was born here," she replied, but continued to stare at the forge.

"Which hold are you from?"

"This one, actually. I was born and raised maybe ten miles east of here. I came to this city all the time, but never had the chance to actually see the forge."

"You're from around here? What's you're name?"

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" she now looked at him and grinned, "I'm Veri. Veri Nocturne."

"Nocturne? I can't say I know the name."

"I wouldn't expect you to. We weren't really a well known family. But it's good to be back where I was born."

"And what brings you back? Are you planning on staying long?"

"Well, if I can find a job and a place to stay, I think I will. But if not, I'm afraid I'll have to try elsewhere."

"A job? Well, I suppose you could try the Inn."

"Already did, a young Redguard woman just arrived. They have no other positions. The tavern has no room either."

"Well, this may sound strange, but how good are you with a forge?"

"I don't mean to brag, but I'm better than most. I've had a lot of practice."

"Alright, how about you show me. Make a dagger for me. The nicest one you can."

She did what he asked. She had spent several years in High Rock, Morrowind, Cyrodiil, and many other countries around a forge. She had time to waste and decided to practice smithing with it. It didn't take her long to make a lovely little dagger. It was engraved with the words "The truest heart guides the hand" and sharpened nicely. It may not have been the best dagger ever made, but it was still a strong and attractive weapon and was made quickly.

"Impressive, dear girl. You have talent. I could use an assistant, if you're interested. I'll pay you twelve gold a day and you can talk to Holda down at the Bannered Mare about renting a room for a month at a time. She can give you a good price for that. What do you say?" the old smith asked.

"Oh, that sounds most agreeable," she smiled at him, "Thank you, sir!"

He returned the smile and nodded. "I'll see you here tomorrow, then. At dawn."

"Absolutely. May I ask, sir, how long am I to work each day?"

"You'll begin at dawn and finish at dusk. I can give you a break in there at any time."

"Oh, that'll be fine. I'm used to long days. Thank you again. I'll see you tomorrow then."

Things were working out better than she could have hoped. She found the inn and arranged things with its owner. A hundred gold a month, provided she could do an occasional errand on her day off. She agreed to this and got all her things in order. Then she went out hunting.

A Journal Entry

4E161

30 Frostfall

I can't believe what has happened to me. How could I be so naive? I always thought you chose to murder and kill by choosing to become a monster. But now I find myself in such a hideous state. Today, I am a vampire, fully and entirely. I thought that my body would fight off the disease, but looking in the mirror this morning, I found my face pale as snow and my eyes red as embers. I am a monster now, and there's nothing I can do.

I had to tell my father and Riley, the man who now has become our leader. Despite my father any my pleas for keeping me in the Silver Hand, Riley has deemed me far too dangerous. They have promised, however, that as long as I only feed off of beast, they will not hunt me or "my kind," seeing that it is, in fact, not a choice. They have also sworn to try to find a cure, but I don't know if they'll be able to.

I will remain, now, as an independent werewolf hunter. Their blood, which is part human, can sustain my thirst and keep me looking as mortal as possible. I don't know where I'll go, but I feel as though I should remain close to my father. Wherever he goes, I will follow. He is the only family I have now.

4E203

When the young lady joined him the next morning, she looked different. The other day, she was mysterious, hiding half of her face with a hood. She wouldn't make eye contact with him for more than a few moments. Today, she arrived with her black hair tied back off her face. She wore a short brown leather and fur dress over black pants and brown boots. Her silver sword was secured at her side.

He nodded to her and then put her to work sharpening swords. Then she worked on engraving some jewelry. The whole time, he talked about the city and about her life. He told her about how his wife would later sell what they made at the market. He asked her where she learned her skills and she told him that she had traveled a lot and it was a useful skill to have if she needed to make some money. He tried not to sound to impressed with such skill at such a young age.

She tried not to let it slip that she was actually much older than he thought.

During the day, she couldn't help glancing down at the large hall below them and into the yard where several warriors were training.

"Who are they?" she asked Eorlund.

"Hmm?" he murmured looking up, "The Companions. Certainly you've heard of them."

"They're the Companions?" she looked at him to see if he was joking. She knew who the Companions were. She had at least heard of them when she was a child and knew of their exciting tales. "I'm sorry, but the seem just like a bunch of drunken brutes."

Eorlund through his head back and laughed a mighty laugh. "Aye! It seems that may be just what they are, my girl! But aren't all Nord warriors these days?"

"I hadn't noticed. I suppose they can do as they wish so long as they are good at their jobs," she shrugged and glanced back down. Several of the warriors were now looking up at her and talking to each other.

Eorlund saw this, too. "I assume that you'll meet at least one of them today. They're already wondering who you are. It's not every day someone is seen helping me around the forge. Certainly not a stranger such as yourself."

"Lovely. I don't have admirers that often," she joked.

But Eorlund was right, of course. The first to arrive was Ria, the newest member and therefore the errand girl.

"Eorlund, Aela sent me up here to tell you that her shield was damaged beyond repair while training with Farkas," the young Companion said, trying to remember the exact story Aela had given her, "She said she needs a new one."

"Oh, really?" the smith replied, "Is that so? I wasn't aware Aela trained with Farkas that much."

"She does have a damaged shield," Ria said honestly, "But I think she might have thrown it at Farkas and hit the wall. At least, that's what it sounded like."

Eorlund chuckled. "And they also sent you up here to...?"

Ria sighed, "Don't tell them I told you, but they're curious about your new helper."

"As I expected. Veri, would you please come over here?"

Veri stopped what she was doing and walked over to the young Companion girl.

"You're first admirer," he said.

She smiled and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Veri," she said.

"Ria. It's nice to meet you," she shook her hand, "You're an Imperial, too? I guess we already have something in common, then."

"I guess so. You're part of the Companions?" Veri asked.

Ria smiled wider. "Yes! Actually, I'm their newest member. It's hard work right now. They give me a lot of the easy jobs, but just being one of them is more than I could have ever hoped for!"

"Sounds like you enjoy it."

"Oh, yes! What about you? How'd you end up here at the Skyforge?"

"I was born here in Whiterun Hold, actually. I'd been traveling around Tamriel for a while, but I decided that it was time for me to return home and maybe settle down. Of course, I just need to make the money to be able to buy a house. If I can find one nearby, that is."

"Well, I wish you the very best of luck with that. I'm sure you'll find something!"

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Ria!"

She smiled and with a little wave, she left.

Apparently, though, her information was not satisfying to the rest of the group, for only an hour later, a man named Skjor came up to have his blade sharpened. His interest was in her sword.

"Silver? Family heirloom, then?" he asked.

"You could say that. It was a gift to my father from a traveling friend. I'm not a huge fan of silver, myself, but he left it to me when he died in the war," she said.

"So I take it you have experience with other metals?" he asked.

"Yes, actually. I was once given an ebony sword. It was a beautiful sword, truly. One of the nicest I've ever used. Not only that, but it was reliable as a well trained hound," she smiled, picturing it's blade. It could have been cut from the night sky itself. It could have been cut from the night itself. She sighed, "But I left it with the person who gave it to me. I would assume he still has it."

"Perhaps you should get it back?"

"Perhaps one day I will."

But the most interesting questions came from Vignar Grey-Mane. He arrived just before sunset.

"What? Do you need a blade sharpened, too? Or are you just interested in seeing your brother suddenly?" Eorlund asked.

"Neither, of course!" Vignar snorted, "All the buzz is that you have a new helper. I've come to see just who this outsider is!"

"My name's Veri Nocturne," she said and shook his hand. Eorlund sighed and went back to work.

"Where are you from, my girl and what brings you to Whiterun?" Vignar asked.

She explained.

"And your name was what? Nocturne? You're probably related to the family who owned Nocturne farm, am I right?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. It was my father's home before he went to war. I believe he still owned it afterwards, but he didn't leave it to me."

"Wasn't that the same family who was slaughtered by some sort of animal all those years ago?"

"A family tragedy, really. My grandmother and her eldest son–my uncle–were walking home from a party. They had stayed out too late and I assume my uncle had had a little too much mead. When whatever it was found them, they were easily killed."

"Too bad, really. But you didn't live on that farm?"

"I did, actually. It was only for a little bit, though. After a while–after my mother and brother were killed in a fire that burned the place down–we moved in with some friends."

"That's right, that old farm did burn down. You must have been young."

"I was."

She was counting the years in her head, but tried not to draw attention to her slip up. It wasn't until after Vignar had gone the Eorlund pointed it out.

"Veri, you said you mother and brother died when your farm burned down. But I remember hearing about Nocturne farm. That had to be forty years ago," Eorlund said.

"Forty years ago? You must be thinking of another farm," she replied.

"I don't think so. It was a farm labeled as 'cursed.' I remember it well because it was the first time they sent the Companions to investigate by the Jarl's order. Vignar was with them. He must have been in his twenties of thirties at that time."

"Forty years? Really? Well, then don't I look great for my age!"

Eorlund chuckled, "Yes. I suppose I don't know where I've going with this. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Absolutely! Good night!" she said and made her way back to the Bannered Mare.

The next day, she worked hard and continuously stole glances of the Companions as they trained in the yard. They all showed such skill and talent for such young people. But every three hours or so, someone would be in a drunken rant or there would be a brawl to prove who was the strongest.

But there was a select group of five warriors who seemed not to bother with such things, at least not with the others. One, Veri knew was Skjor. The other was Kodlak, whom Eorlund had pointed out to her early on as the harbinger of the Companions. Then there was a girl whom Veri quickly saw was quite skilled with a bow and two boys who looked so alike that that couldn't have not been related. Of course, there was a few brawls between them, but by the looks of it, it was all friendly training.

One day as Veri looked out over the yard to gaze at the Companions, she watched the two brothers (as she had decided) fighting. She could hear their laughter form the forge. Soon, others were outside and watching them, cheering and laughing along. The winning brother only had a moment of celebration as the archer girl soon stepped in with her sword drawn. Then those two scrimmaged and the trend continued, the victor ultimately being Skjor.

And that was the first time that Veri felt a desire to be one of them. It had once been her dream to have true warrior friends like that who would joke around with her and make her laugh. But after she became a vampire, she believed that dream to be lost.

The next night, she was walking back to the city after a night of hunting when she thought of all this. She kicked a rock that was in her path and imagined who she would have been had she not become a vampire. But it seemed that the most fun she had had was after it. The war. She remembered her friends from the war. They had accepted her as a great soldier and comrade at one time. But had she not become a vampire, they would never had known her.

She suddenly froze. There was a strange sound and a strange smell. She could feel a tremor in the ground. She heard the loud thump of something large coming in contact with the half-frozen ground. And she could smell the blood. It was a giant.

She drew her sword and sprinted down the road. It was somewhere between her and the city. That meant there could be people around.